Flyweight, Carlos Mota (5-0)
While fighting out of Brazil, Mota did take his last fight in the US for LFA. In that fight, he scored a highlight-reel body kick knockout in under a minute. He hasn’t fought since then and that was in 2019. Mota is well-rounded and does everything very well. On the feet, he has the power and speed as well as output and combinations. He will throw single shots but has the power to back that up. He’s got a good kicking game as well. Mota has good jiu-jitsu also. He doesn’t have any submission wins but has the control and transitions down pat. He fights Rodrigo Roldan (4-3).
Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Carlos Mota ahead of this one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjTfnnPOn3A
Strawweight, Yasmin Castanho (4-0)
Castanho has a lot of potential with a few minor adjustments needed. She holds her chin high and is too easy to hit. She does have a good jab and leg kicks and when in the clinch produces some good muay thai. Castanho excels on the mat and to get it there her judo is good and her wrestling seems okay. Once on the mat, Castanho is where she’s best. She has three submission wins and her jiu-jitsu prior to the submission is good. She fights Maristela Alves (4-0).
Lightweight, Kauê Fernandes (6-0)
Fernandes has a muay thai base along with a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Once he lets his hands go he such a problem at range with his long punches. He has a good jab, a good one-two, and is a solid counter striker. He does get a bit wild throwing at times though. Once he gets on the mat Fernandes’ control is lockdown. Even when he’s on his back he can snatch up a submission like that. He has fluid hips being able to attack very quickly. If he gets on top though he’s likely staying there and finishing the fight. The jiu-jitsu is his best weapon. He fights Luan Sardinha (6-0).
Bantamweight, Luan Luiz Lacerda (10-1)
Brazil’s Lacerda doesn’t have a ton of footage out there but of what’s available his jiu-jitsu is top-notch. It doesn’t look like he has much to offer on the feet but at least strikes well to close the distance. Lacerda will even pull guard to close the distance and for his sake it’s a good idea. Lacerda is excellent no matter where on the mat. He is very fluid off his back attacking submission and sweeping his foes. Lacerda is a big submission threat and as he’s good at attacking the neck but has won with an armbar twice. He really looks like a problem in this division. He fights Tayron Pedro (9-3).
RCC | Russia | Saturday
Heavyweight, Kirill Kornilov (9-0-1)
Kornilov has a kickboxing background but in his MMA career it’s the hands that he has got the job done with. He has a really good jab and uses a lot of feints to produce openings for him to exploit. Where he is most effective is when his opponents come forward, catching them as they come in. He’s a dangerous guy off his back foot, so not someone you want to advance on carelessly. His takedown defense isn’t at all where it needs to be. Even worse, he’s way out of his realm on the mat off his back. Kornilov fights Roggers Souza (10-3).
Featherweight, Evgeniy Ignatiev (16-2-2)
Ignatiev is one of the most talented guys out of Russia and hardly ever talked about. He’s well-rounded, has a lot of experience, and still only 26. On the feet Ignatiev has good fundamentals. He’s got some nice hands with the combinations he throws. He leads with power shots and ends with power shots. Such a dangerous and lethal striker. Ignatiev is arguably an even better wrestler and on the mat is where he’s best. He’s so good on the back landing heavy ground and pound and switching to the RNC. He’s very good. Ignatiev fights Rudney Carvalho (8-1).
FFC 46 | Peru | Saturday
Featherweight, Rudy Gavidia (14-2)
Peru native Rudy Gavidia is quite the showman and he has every right to be, stringing together eleven wins in a row after losing his first two fights. Gavidia has a background in jiu-jitsu and was a boxing champion in China in 2008 and 2009. Gavidia is well-rounded as he has a good jab with leg kicks on the feet. He moves well on top but is very heavy as well and while he has good ground-and-pound, he does hold five submissions. He fights Martin Mollinedo (24-9).
LFA 112 | Brazil | Sunday
Flyweight, Filipe Esteves (7-0)
Esteves is a black belt in judo and jiu-jitsu, a part of the Brazilian wrestling team, and a four-time Brazilian and South American champion. With all the accomplishments on the mat and in the wrestling/judo, his striking is pretty good as well. There isn’t a lot of footage available but his overall skillset looks promising. He’s already 32 but a talented guy. He fights Rafael Ramos (9-0).
Welterweight, Gabriel Bonfim (10-0)
Bonfim is making his return to the cage for the first time since April of 2019. At that time Bonfim was one of the hottest prospects out of Brazil. Bonfim is a long striker who at times gets drawn into brawls but his accuracy and power has held up. Where he excels more is on the mat using his superior jiu-jitsu. He has eight submission wins all coming by a way of a choke. It will be interesting to see how he looks coming off the layoff. He fights Brenner Alberth (8-0).
Welterweight, Brenner Alberth (8-0)
Alberth fights out of an orthodox stance so his right hand is his primary weapon. He has a good right overhand, right hook, and right cross. The Brazilian is a wild striker but still a dangerous one. He’s very capable of knocking guys out with his right or his left hand. Alberth is a danger when he plants his feet and throws looping hooks. Brenner also is a good counter striker which will no doubt show more and more as his career progresses. Alberth has managed to secure takedowns from the clinch and at distance. It seems he’s pretty good at timing his entrances and always gets the takedown on the initial attempt, with no need to chain wrestle. Although six of his eight finishes are by KO/TKO his jiu-jitsu is his strongest skill. As soon as the fight hits the mat Alberth immediately slices through the guard right into mount. He has fight-ending ground and pound knocking one of his foes out with punches in mount. He fights Gabriel Bonfim (10-0).
Featherweight, Gabriel Alves Braga (5-0)
Only 5-0 and 23-years-old, Gabriel Alves Barga has really impressed. He has a solid ground game with his ground-and-pound but prefers to stay standing. Braga is very technical as he loves to throw from all different kinds of angles. He throws a bit of everything including knees and elbows, and puts all his strikes together perfectly. Braga rips the body frequently and he mixes that into combinations very well. He’s always throwing output, mixing in all his weapons. He fights Jonathan Cordeiro (5-1).
